In this excerpt, Solís discusses the enchantment she felt the first time that she witnessed Celedonio Molinar performing the role of Major Devil, the baptism of the devils, and how she learned about the performance traditions of Portobelo, Panama.
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Raul Orlando Jimenez Delgado Significance of Devil
In this excerpt, Jiménez discusses the significance of the devil character to the Congo tradition of Panama and his perspective on playing the Major Devil character.
Raul Orlando Jimenez Delgado The Pujido
In this excerpt, Jiménez describes the “pujido”/”grunt” that the devil character uses to build internal energy and externalize it. He then discusses his interpretation of its relationship to the occult and a potential existential compromise.
Simona Esquina Pride for Congo Tradition
In this excerpt, Esquina discusses her pride for the Congo tradition and its importance to the towns of Panama’s upper coast.
Simona Esquina Beginning of Congo Season
In this brief excerpt, Esquina describes the ways in which Congo season begins in Panama on the feast day of San Sebastian with the raising of the Congo flag.
Simona Esquina Changes to the Congo Tradition
In this excerpt, Esquina discusses the changes she has seen in the Congo tradition over the course of her lifetime. Specifically, she talks about the rare existence of two palacios in 2003 and the shifting commitment of Congo practitioners who once participated in the tradition exclusively and without interruption during carnival season before the road was constructed in the early 1970s, which connected Portobelo and the rest of the Coasta Arriba to the broader Republic.
Simona Esquina Memory of Mother Dancing
In this excerpt, Esquina shares one of her fondest childhood memories, the one and only time that her mother danced in the Congo tradition.
Simona Esquina Meaning and Significance of Congo in Portobelo
In this excerpt, Esquina discusses the meaning and significance of the Congo tradition to Portobelo.
Simona Esquina Significance of Congo Name
In this Excerpt, Esquina discusses the significance of her Congo name “Revellin.”
Celedonio Molinar Escalating Violence
In this short excerpt, Molinar laments some of the escalating violence that he witnessed in the early 21st century.